“It may be the first artificial island in the country,” said Cagan H. Sekercioglu in an email. “We have taken conservation science to the next stage and have created critical habitat for thousands of birds. It is very rewarding to be doing something concrete after my depressing papers estimating bird extinctions.

“This is an excellent example of hands-on conservation resulting from close collaboration of local villagers, conservation scientists, decision-makers and local government.”

The artificial island was made from a dirt road which bisected Lake Kuyucuk in the Kars province of eastern Turkey.

Thought to be home to at least half the 465 species of birds found in Turkey and a critical stopover for thousands of birds that migrate annually between eastern Europe and Africa, Lake Kuyucuk was recently nominated as a candidate for declaration by the United Nations as a wetlands of international importance.

The manmade island in the center of the lake becomes a safe place for birds to roost and breed. It also restores the natural water regime of the lake by connecting the southern and northern sections formerly bisected by the old Kars-Akyaka road.

Local authorities expect that the new 200-yard-long island will increase nature tourism in the region.

The artificial island was finished and announced during the Eleventh Turkish Birding Conference, which was hosted by Kars Kafkas University and the KuzeyDoğa Society in Eastern Turkey ast week.

“The island was the big surprise of the conference and exhilirated Turkey’s birdwatchers,” according to a media statement sent by Sekercioglu.

The island was converted from the old road across the lake after local authorities, conservationists and surrounding communities agreed last year on the conservation zones and the Ramsar boundaries of Lake Kuyucuk. Ramsar is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework under UN auspices for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their associated resources.

It was agreed at that time to remove the road from the lake as soon as possible.

The KuzeyDoğa Society, a bird research and conservation organization led by Sekercioglu, proposed that the dirt road be converted into an island as an easy and affordable way to provide a haven for breeding birds.

Ninety-three trees of local species such as birch and willow, suited to the local steppe wetland ecosystem, were planted along the northern side of the island.

The soil addition on the south bank created a more gradual slope (half as steep) into the lake. This new, shallow bank will enable more species of birds to use and breed on the island, the news statement said.

“The entirety of the island is now inaccessible to people, cattle, sheep, horses, foxes, wolves, dogs and cats and therefore any birds nesting or feeding there will be free of these human and animal disturbances common elsewhere around the lake.”

Comments

Evelyn Tyson.Woodson

Poligon Izmir Tr.

March 22, 2016, 5:19 pm

The City have a few sparrows , Pigeons are plentiful at Public Parks , Doves are community dwellers a few Black Crows are living in the roofs and compete with the Sparrows for food people put on Ledges. I never see any US species such a Blue jays Robins or Cardinals, Woodpeckers . I have never seen a Snake of nay kind in the 10 years I have lived here and hiked the Mountain of Bolchava .

Post a comment

National Geographic Voices

Researchers, conservationists, and others share stories, insights and ideas about Our Changing Planet, Wildlife & Wild Spaces, and The Human Journey. More than 50,000 comments have been added to 10,000 posts. Explore the list alongside to dive deeper into some of the most popular categories of the National Geographic Society's conversation platform Voices.

Opinions are those of the blogger and/or the blogger's organization, and not necessarily those of the National Geographic Society. Posters of blogs and comments are required to observe National Geographic's community rules and other terms of service.

Voices director: David Braun (dbraun@ngs.org)

Fighting Wildlife Crime: The Unsung Heroes

Journalist and National Geographic Fellow Bryan Christy uses investigative journalism to expose illegal wildlife trafficking around the globe. In this video he introduces a a series of interviews with the people fighting wildlife crime on the front lines.

Blog Search

Search for:

Fulbright-National Geographic

The Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowship provides a unique platform for U.S. Fulbright awardees to build awareness of transnational challenges, comparing and contrasting cross-border issues. Their stories are shared on National Geographic digital platforms using a variety of digital storytelling tools, including text, photography, video, audio, graphic illustrations and/or social media. Meet the Fellows and follow their adventures across the world on the Fulbright-National Geographic Storytelling blog.

Follow the links on the sidebar of any of the blog's pages for details and tips on how to apply for a Fellowship.